South Sudan’s Minister of Peacebuilding, Stephen Par Kuol, has been arrested, as announced by Vice President Riek Machar’s spokesperson. This incident follows a series of arrests targeting senior officials affiliated with Machar amid rising conflicts in Nasir. The situation raises questions about the stability of the country’s peace process established by the 2018 agreement.
On Thursday, South Sudanese forces apprehended Hon. Stephen Par Kuol, the Minister of Peacebuilding, as reported by Vice President Riek Machar’s spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang. This event underscores the ongoing instability within the nation’s delicate peace framework, especially following previous detentions of senior officials aligned with Machar.
The arrests coincided with escalated conflict in the northern town of Nasir, where national forces are engaged in clashes with the White Army militia. The White Army primarily consists of armed members of the Nuer ethnic group, which is closely associated with Machar and previously fought alongside his forces during the civil war from 2013 to 2018.
Information Minister Michael Makuei has indicated that Machar’s forces purportedly collaborated with the White Army to launch an assault on a military garrison near Nasir. However, Makuei did not provide comments regarding Kuol’s arrest, despite the latter’s involvement in negotiations leading to the 2018 peace agreement that concluded the civil unrest. Earlier in the week, the vice presidency had also declared the arrests of several other officials, including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol and Deputy Army Chief Gabriel Doup Lam, both of whom share alliances with Machar.
The recent detention of Minister Stephen Par Kuol highlights the ongoing volatility in South Sudan’s political landscape, further complicating efforts to sustain the fragile peace established by the 2018 accord. With increasing hostilities in Nasir and arrests of key officials, the possibility of stabilizing the region appears increasingly uncertain.
Original Source: www.straitstimes.com
